Improvement in guiding balloons



8. F. McELASHAN.

Guiding Ballonns.

N0,52,l45, Patentedjune16,874.

- K v l 1 tncss As Y nvell or UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHAELEs E. MCeLAsnAN, CE TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUIDING BALLOONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,145, dated June 16, 1874; application tiled April 15. 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. MCGLAsH- AN, of Truckee, Nevada county, State of California, have invent-ed Improvements in Guiding Balloons; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention or improvement without further invention or experiment.

The object of my invention is to provide a means by which aerial craft can be guided and caused to travel between any two points with positive certainty; and it consists in certai-n improvements in that class of apparatus in which the balloon or other aerial craft or vessel is attached with a traveler, which is so connected with a ground rail, track, or other guide that it will move along it with little friction, and thus prevent the aerial vessel from being carried away to either side, while it can travel in either direction parallel with the track and rail without the necessity of other steering apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l shows the balloon or other aerial craft connected with the ground rail or track by the cord and traveler. Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of car with reel and connections. Fig. 3 is a plan of the traveler and rail. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-'sections 0f the traveler.

It is a rail or other guiding-track, which is extended along the ground between any two points between which it may be desired to establish aerial communication. T is a suitable rope, cord, or wire, which has one end attached to the traveler S, as shown, while its opposite end is wound around and attached to a reel or drum, C, in the car beneath the balloonQ, which can be turned to wind or unwind the rope or cord by a crank, L. The track, which should be ot smooth polished metal or other suitable substance, must be laid with a view to utilizing favorable currents of air. The aerial craft Q, which is borne along by these favoring winds, is raised or lowered, and is prevented from going to the right or left by means of the rope, guide,

and track. I/Vhen the balloon ascends, the rope unwinds, turning the windlass. I) is a pinion, which is attached to the shaft of the windlass. Its teeth engage with those ot the spur-wheel E, to whose shaft is attached one end of a spiral spring, F. As the windlass revolves and lets the rope unwind, and the balloon ascends, the spring F is thereby wound up. The resistance exerted by the elastic force of the spring will gradually increase until it overcomes the ascensive force of the balloon and places the latter in equilibrium. If it is desirable to ascend or descend in order to reach a favorable current of air, the wheels E and pinion I) are thrown out of gear, and the spring is retained in its state of tension by means of the ratchet H and pawl I. This tension may be increased or decreased by means of the crank M. Meantime, the balloon, freed from the restraint of the spring, will mount rapidly upward unless checked by the brake K, which works upon the drum J. The spring, by its elasticity, prevents shocks and jars in ascending or descending, or in passing over uneven ground, and answers the purpose of ballast, by preventing the windlass from unwinding after the balloon has reached a certain height. It alsoobviates the necessity of letting gas escape in order to descend, because its tension can be readily increased by means of the crank M. It takes up automatically all the slack rope occasioned by 11p-grades, or any other cause, and which might otherwise strike against trees, houses, and other obstructions. Lastly, it greatly assists the crank L in bringing the balloon to the ground when a descent is to be eifectcd. P is a swivel, which enables either the car or balloon to have an independent rotary motion. U is a slot in the bottom and sides of the car, through which the rope T may work. When the car is in an oblique instead of averticall direction from the guide, this slot prevents the rope from tipping the car.

vents the peculiar rotary motion usual to balloons.

I thus provide a method of ascending without discharge cf ballast, and of descending without loss of gas, thus enabling the aero- It also prenant to carefully husband the resources olfhs l I, substantially as and for the purpose deballoon. It guarantees a certa-in nlode of described.

scendng to the earth at any moment, and of 2. The ear A, having the slot '[I, in combistopping at any desired point duringI the voynation with the reel or Windlass C, rope T, and

ggf, guiding-rail R, substantially as and for the Having thus described my invention, what purpose above described. I claim, and desire to secure by Let-ters Pat- I Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand ent, is and seal.

1. In combination with the balloon-car A CHARLES FAYETTE MCGLASHAN. [Ls] and rope T, the windlass or reel C, having the Titliesses: pinion D on one end of its shaft, the spur- JOHN KEISER, Wheel E, spring F, ratchet-wheel II, and pawl J. F. GREELEY. 

